


Millennium Christmas Cracker

by angiembabe



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-24 03:12:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17092967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angiembabe/pseuds/angiembabe
Summary: Mokuba loves Christmas, but Seto is always such a misery. Intent on making this year a Christmas to remember, Mokuba arranges a party and everyone is invited. Holed up in his home laboratory, Seto is working on his project, while upstairs, the party is just getting going. Seto's plan to resurrect Atem backfires, turning it into a Christmas they definitely won't forget.





	1. All I Want For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. So this is the first chapter of my short Christmas story. The plot will be pretty thin, but it's just a bit of fun and silliness really. So please don't be too critical if there's a few plot flaws. Just enjoy!.
> 
> Warnings: There might be a bit of swearing and suggestiveness, but nothing bad.
> 
> Disclaimer: I should probably take this opportunity to remind everyone that I do not own Yugioh.

December was a month that Seto Kaiba hated. Not because the days were short and it was usually cold and dank, but because everyone seemed to fall over themselves with excitement over some stupid western tradition called Christmas. And Seto Kaiba hated Christmas. It was just another excuse for everyone to gather together and socialise over way too much food and alcohol.

But if there was one up-side to all this festive stupidity, it was that people spent more money on Kaiba Corporation products to send as gifts; worldwide sales of duel disks, Virtual Reality simulators and other gaming accessories always tripled at this time of year.

Of course, it went without saying that Mokuba absolutely loved Christmas.

He was also pretty sure Yugi and his idiot band of friends loved Christmas as well. Mokuba had even suggested inviting them over for Kentucky Fried Chicken and merriment. If that happened, then Seto would hide in his room until they all left.

An e-mail popped up on his screen, making him scowl.

As usual, the local homeless charity was asking Kaiba Corporation to pay for a huge Christmas tree to be placed in the town square. And as usual, Seto felt obliged to comply – if only to maintain good public reputations. He forwarded the e-mail on to his public relations manager and asked her to deal with it.

Packing up for the evening, he left his office and went home, only to groan when he walked in to find Mokuba and his housekeeper putting up Christmas decorations.

Now twenty two, Mokuba was almost as tall and imposing as he was. But where as Seto had a reputation for being frosty and hated interacting with other people at social events, Mokuba loved it. He was fun loving and popular, and his dark, tousled locks and designer stubble made him a magnet for the ladies – or, gold diggers as Seto called them.

"Seto! Come and see the tree?!" Mokuba grinned like a kid in a candy shop and dragged him into the sitting room to see the large spruce that had been given pride of place in the corner. Seto had to admit that it did look very nice with its sparkly lights, tinsel and baubles, but he kept those thoughts to himself and just grunted, feigning disinterest.

Ordering the housekeeper to tell the chef to serve dinner in thirty minutes, he poured himself a glass of Scotch Whiskey and sat down in his leather armchair to enjoy the rich, amber nectar.

"Where's my whiskey?" Mokuba demanded. Seto opened his mouth to tell him he wasn't old enough, but clamped it shut again when he realised he was. It was hard getting used to the fact that his little brother was a grown man, who did not need his permission.

It made Seto a bit sad: Mokuba had always needed him and idolised him. But Mokuba now had his own life and it made Seto feel a bit redundant and useless. Seto might have his successful company, but his life was void of much else – even Duel Monsters didn't excite him like it used to.

Taking the silence as a 'yes', Mokuba poured himself some whiskey and sat on the armrest of the chair. "So!" He draped himself over his brothers shoulder, just to annoy him. "Seto... Have you thought any more about what I suggested?"

Seto scowled up at him. "Mokuba! Get off me! And get off the arm of the chair?! It's an antique and isn't designed for sitting on."

"You're no fun," Mokuba pouted. "If you're not gonna give an answer, then I will invite them anyway. After all, this is my house too."

Seto rolled his eyes. It seemed that Mokuba had still not given up on his plan to invite Yugi and his cronies on Christmas Day? "Has it not occurred to you that they might prefer to spend Christmas with their own families? Yugi hasn't seen his wife for nearly four months, he might want to spend it with her."

Mokuba chewed his lip. "I already mentioned it to Yugi and he said that they aren't planning to do much. He seemed quite interested when I suggested they all come here."

"You mean you invited them behind my back?" Seto growled.

"Not exactly behind your back. I did show you respect by asking you first."

"And I said no!"

"And that's why I asked them!" Mokuba stood up and glared angrily at his brother. "You're always so moody at Christmas and I hate it!" He ranted. "If you wanna spend it holed up in your room, sulking like the bastard love child of Scrooge and the Grinch, then go ahead. But at least let me invite some friends over, and have fun with people who do want to celebrate!"

Seto stared open mouthed at his younger brother. "Did you just refer to me as the bastard offspring of a Dickens character and a Doctor Seuss creation?"

Mokuba snickered. "So what if I did? It's because you are. In fact, scratch that. Compared to you their offspring would be kind and generous. They would be the life and soul of the party." With that, he gulped his whiskey down in one, turned and stormed out.

"Mokuba! Come back here this instant?!" Seto thumped the arm of the chair with his fist. Great! Now he'd upset Mokuba. And he knew from experience that Mokuba would give him the silent treatment until he relented and let him invite whoever he wanted for Christmas.

But how bad would a Christmas party really be? He could hole himself up in his home laboratory and work on his frustratingly difficult project, with the knowledge that Mokuba had friends to enjoy Christmas with.

Who knows, if he managed to pull it off, he might even be able to bring the Pharaoh back again in time for Christmas Day! And if he was successful, having Yugi here might be good, because if Atem was royally pissed off for being pulled out of the afterlife for a duel, then Yugi would be able to placate him.

::::::::::::

Yugi was lugging boxes from the store room, while his grandfather was sitting behind the counter, minding the store.

He was looking forward to seeing Anzu again. They had been married for twenty months now, but in that time, he had only spent about three months in total with her as she had been touring with the New York Ballet. But she was due to fly home from Los Angeles next week to spend two very much needed weeks with him, before flying back out on the second of January to continue the tour.

When the bell to the door chimed and Mokuba walked in, Sugoroku was surprised. The only time the younger Kaiba brother had ever visited, was to install the security system.

He would never forget the trouble both brothers had caused in the past, but Sugoroku considered Mokuba the nicer of the two. He could forgive Mokuba for his previous behaviour because he had only been a child at the time and had behaved like a brat to get his his brother's attention. It seemed incredible, that somehow, despite having Seto as a role model, Mokuba had actually grown up to be a very likeable and charming young man – unlike his brother.

"Hello Mokuba. To what do we owe this visit?" The old man smiled warmly and Mokuba wondered if he might persuade him to dress up as Santa for the party.

"Hey Mister Mutou! Is Yugi in?"

Sugoroku nodded. "Yes, he is. Shall I call him for you?"

Mokuba felt like rolling his eyes and saying 'duh! Of course!' But instead remained polite. "Yes please."

Before Sugoroku could call out, Yugi appeared from the back of the store carrying a large box full of Christmas decorations. He had heard the voices.

"Hi there Mokuba." He grinned around the side of the box. "Just let me put this down and I'll be with you." Carefully crouching, so as not to injure his back, he put the box down and stood up straight and brushed the dust off the front of his apron. He shook his head and scraped his fingers through his hair, dislodging dust and a few cobwebs. "Damned box was on the top shelf, right at the very back." He sneezed as the dust dislodged from his hair.

At twenty five, Yugi had finished growing a while ago. He had made it to the dizzy height of five feet six and a half (he never forgot the half) and had broadened at she chest and shoulders, giving him a much more powerful appearance, but he was still a good five inches shorter than Mokuba, who had the same 'tall' genes as his brother.

"Hey Yugi!" Mokuba beamed, trying not to laugh too much at the undefeated Duel King with cobwebs in his hair. "Just came to see if you're still okay to come over for my Christmas celebrations? Only I need to finalise numbers for catering."

"Yeah, sure," Yugi nodded. "I mentioned it to Anzu and she would love to come. Honda, Shizuka and Bakura all said yes. Jonouchi said he and Mai would as long as your brother isn't there." That was a polite version of what his pal had actually said, but Yugi felt it best not to repeat Jonouchi's exact words.

Mokuba sighed. "Seto is refusing to join in anyway. Says he's got more important stuff to do, so Jonouchi's safe to come."

"What about Me? And what about your mother and father Yugi?" Said Sugoroku, sounding a bit perturbed.

Yugi scratched his head. " Yeah, I was gonna ask; is it was okay to bring my family? Only, my dad's coming home for a couple of weeks."

Mokuba grinned happily. "Sure! The more the merrier! I was even hoping you would dress up as Father Christmas, Mister Mutou?" He asked cheekily.

Sugoroku chuckled and patted his belly in good humour. "Ho, ho, ho... Are you telling me I look like a bearded, short, fat man, young Mokuba?"

The young man blushed. "Well, you are probably better qualified than the rest of us."

"Then I accept your invitation."

"Great!" Mokuba rubbed his hands together. "Everyone is invited. Tell Anzu to bring her parents as well. It'll be awesome!"

With a week and a half to go, and the number of guests confirmed, Mokuba got on with making all the final catering arrangements.


	2. Surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas morning and everyone heads over to the Kaiba Mansion for Mokuba's party, unaware that underneath where they are congregated, Seto Kaiba is busy working on Project Pharaoh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter two. Given myself a lot to do by promising this will be posted today, so the editing might be a bit rushed. I will try to get the next chapter either tomorrow of Monday, and the final chapter probably boxing day of the day after.

Christmas morning had finally arrived. Anzu awoke at eight feeling a sense of contentment and anticipation for the day ahead. It was so nice to be back home with her husband, her friends and her family. She hadn't let on, but after more than two years of constant touring and performing, her body was starting to feel the strain, from all the pulled muscles and blackened toenails. She had not discussed it with anyone yet, but she was seriously considering leaving the dance company after the latest tour concluded in the spring. She and Yugi had already talked about starting a family, so maybe it was time to admit to him that she was starting to feel a bit broody!

Smiling lovingly at her husband, still fast asleep beside her, she quietly got out of bed and tiptoed to the window to peer outside. It did not snow often in this part of Japan, but she nearly whooped with joy at the sight of snow flakes fluttering around outside. It was not enough to cover the ground, but it still made her smile happily. What was it about snow that always made Christmas feel extra special?

She found Mai already up, in the kitchen, quietly making herself a pot of coffee. "Morning Mai. Merry Christmas. Have you seen the snow?"

Mai shivered. "Brrr.. Not a fan unless I'm skiing. She leaned over and kissed Anzu's cheek. "Merry Christmas Hon. Coffee?"

Anzu shook her head. "Yugi and I will have tea. I'll make it."

"Is he still asleep?"

"Yeah... What about Jonouchi?"

Mai rolled her eyes. "Snoring like a Baby Dragon. Why do you think I'm awake this early? Even the dead couldn't sleep through that racket," she grumbled.

Anzu laughed. "At least Yugi doesn't snore.. very often."

"Jou only ever seems to snore when he's had a too much to drink."

"Yeah, I don't think the boys should have had that whiskey. At least Yugi only drank a bit of his. I don't think he really likes it that much, but he didn't want to look a like a wimp in front Jonouchi and Honda."

"How about we wake those two up?" Mai grinned devilishly, picking up two saucepan lids.

"Mai!" Anzu gasped. "That's mean."

"Yeah, I know. I'll get Katsuya, you can wake Honda."

Mai groaned when Jonouchi appeared, scratching the stubble on his face with one hand and rubbing his crotch with the other. "Did I just hear my name," he yawned.

"Oh! You're awake then?" Said Mai, sarcastically. "And stop scratching your balls! It's disgusting."

"Nah.. I'm not scratching, I'm massaging. They love a good morning massage."

"T.M.I..." Anzu grimaced, rolling her eyes.

Jonouchi noticed the pan lids in Mai's hands and a wicked grin appeared on his face. "We're you gonna wake Honda with those?" He chuckled. "Here, Lemme..." He grabbed the lids and scurried off to the other guest room in which Honda had crashed because he had drunk too much to risk riding his motorbike home.

Anzu and Mai looked at each other and shrugged.

"I'll take the tea to Yugi." Anzu grabbed both mugs and went back to the bedroom to avoid the inevitable ruckus that would break out when Jonouchi woke up Honda.

Yugi was just stirring when she got back to their bedroom. "Morning Yugi." She put the tea on the night stand and leaned over to kiss him. "Happy Christmas."

"Hmmm.. Happy.. Christmas." He yawned in her ear and looped his arms over her shoulders and then mumbled. "What time is it?"

"Nearly eight thirty." She climbed over him, onto her side of the bed and snuggled up to him.

From the other side of the hall, they heard yelling and swearing. Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Wonder why those two are fighting?" When Anzu chuckled, he gave her a cheeky nudge. "C'mon, spill? What's the joke?"

"Oh, it's nothing much. Jonouchi was snoring so Mai was going to wake him up by banging saucepan lids in his ear. But he woke by himself and took the lids into Honda's room. Honda obviously didn't find it very funny."

With a nod of the head, Yugi chuckled. "Best we stay here and drink our tea then," he decided, sliding an arm around her.

"It's snowing out," she informed him, playing with the buttons on his pyjama top.

"Snow?!" He said, sounding like an excited little kid. "They did say it might. Maybe we can all built a snowman later."

"I don't think it will be enough," she sighed. "But at least it makes everything feel more Christmassy."

"Yeah. Did you wanna get up yet? Or stay here for a cuddle?"

Anzu liked the idea of spending an extra ten minutes alone with him and asked him to pass her tea.

::::::::::::

In the Kaiba mansion, Moukba was already up and dressed in his Christmas jumper.

Hammering on his brother's door, he called out for Seto to get up and come and have breakfast with him.

None too pleased at being woken up, Seto propped himself up on his elbow and pleaded with him to quit his infernal banging. Mokuba took that as an invitation, threw the door open and came bounding into the room like a big puppy.

"You look like shit Seto! What time did you get to bed?"

Seto had been working in his home laboratory and had lost track of time. "I don't know. Three, or maybe four. And what on earth is that abomination you are wearing?" The bright red, green, blue and white snow man jumper was hurting his eyes. What a colour clash! And to make it worse, the snowman had bright blue, flashing L.E.D. beads for eyes.

"What? Oh! This," Mokuba laughed, looking down at his jumper. "He reminds me of you. All frosty with bright blue eyes. Well, not this morning because your eyes are all red and you could put Christmas presents in the bags under your eyes."

"Shut up Mokuba. Go away and let me sleep?"

Mokuba groaned at him and scowled. "Breakfast is in thirty minutes. I'm making pancakes, so be there. That's not a request, that's an order," he snapped, using the sort of tone Seto would use.

Seto watched him leave with a mortified expression. Did he really piss Mokuba off that much that his younger brother would imitate him like that? He groaned and flopped back down onto his silk pillow. If only Mokuba and the others knew what he had been working on, they might cut him some slack.

Seven years he had been planning and working on Project Pharaoh. The original cube may have been confiscated when he visited Atem's afterlife. But unbeknown to the Pharaoh and his cronies, Seto had already anticipated they might take it from him and had stored the details of its composition in his computer system. However, the technology required to replicate the ability of the original Cube had not been available. But technology had progressed rapidly and it looked like he might have finally cracked it.

But being Seto, he had not stopped there. He had actually gone one better and improved on the original design by adding a new function, that would not only enable him to teleport himself if he wanted to, but also enable him to locate, pluck a person from their own reality and bring them here. Bringing Atem here, would not only enable him to use a duel disk and give Seto a proper re-match, it could also be televised, giving the whole world the opportunity to witness Seto's victory.

Once he had beaten Atem, he would then force Yugi and Atem to duel him as a team. He had run simulations of Yugi's deck teamed with Atem's, and Seto had come up with several ways to beat them.

It would be the duel to end all duels, and it would finally give him the closure that he had been denied for so long. He could kill two birds with one stone and be crowned the true King of Games.

Feeling pumped that this would be his day for glory – the ultimate Christmas – he glanced at the time. It was best not to upset Mokuba, so he got out of bed and pulled on his dressing gown.

Mokuba was in the kitchen, waiting for him. He smiled when Seto walked in.

"Promise me you won't be rude to Yugi's friends when they arrive? And don't you dare fight with Jonouchi."

Seto huffed. "The Mutt's coming then?" He scowled.

"Yes! And don't call him that. He's actually a decent guy when you get to know him."

"I'll take your word on it," he snorted. "But don't worry. I'll be in my laboratory working on my surprise."

"Surprise?!" Mokuba cast him a confused, concerned look. "What surprise?"

"You'll see... If I'm successful." He smirked knowingly to himself.

"Seto..." Mokuba groaned. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing! Well, nothing that concerns you. It will be revolutionary if I succeed." Or evolutionary, he thought to himself, smugly.

::::::::::::

Loaded with presents for everyone, Yugi and Anzu drove over to the game shop to pick his parents and grandfather up for the party, leaving Mai, Jonouchi and Honda to go and get Shizuka and then Ryou.

The snow that had been falling earlier had stopped, and apart from a very light sprinkling on the grass verges, most of it had disappeared. But it was still very cold.

As soon as Yugi's family were all squeezed into the car, Anzu called her parents and told them they would meet them at the Kaiba mansion in fifteen minutes. When they arrived, Mai, Shizuka and the guys were already there. Anzu's parents arrived five minutes later. Having made his peace with Sugoroku, Ryuji Otogi's father also came.

Mokuba had invited his latest girlfriend, Kimiko. And much to Ryuji's delight, she had brought her older sister, Machiko, with her.

Mokuba greeted them all with smiles and took them all into the huge sitting room, where a roaring log fire was burning in the hearth. In the corner of the room, next to the extremely wide patio doors, stood the huge Christmas tree, with it's baubles twinkling as they reflected the fairy lights and also the dancing flames from the log fire. Underneath the tree sat a mountain of presents. The mouthwatering aroma of mulled wine spices and hot mince pies filled the room with Christmas cheer.

Everyone placed their own gifts with the presents already under the tree and then Mokuba rang a bell to get everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming," he grinned. "I know you're all dying to dive into the presents, but first... Who wants a glass of champagne?"

::::::::::::

Underneath where they were all standing, Seto was busy working in his private laboratory.

The huge underground complex had been built by Gozoburo. Part of the basement was used as a wine cellar and private cinema. But behind that was a vast network of secret bunkers that served as a shelter should one of Gozoburo's weapons of mass destruction ever be used against him.

Seto still kept part of it as a nuclear bunker, but also used it to work on his most secret technology. It was unofficial Kaiba technology that not even his most trusted staff knew about. The room was sound proofed and any noise he made should be completely undetectable to the party goers above him.

Setting the parameters, he double checked the maths and then re-checked the parameter settings again; he was opening a doorway into Atem's world and any mistakes in his calculations could result in catastrophe. At the very best, Atem's soul could be destroyed. At the very worst, Atem's soul would be destroyed, along with himself, the people upstairs and half of Domino.

::::::::::::

"Aw.. come on, please Mister Mutou?" Mokuba held out the red outfit to Sugoroku.

"Yeah Gramps... Don't be a spoilsport," Jonouchi snickered, earning a smack on the back of the head from Mai.

"If he doesn't want to wear it, he doesn't have to," she scolded her on-off boyfriend.

"Why don't you wear it Jonouchi?" Anzu suggested.

"Me?! You gotta be kidding! I ain't..."

"Come on Jonouchi?" Yugi interrupted with a smirk. "Don't be a spoilsport."

"Yes, please Katsuya?" Shizuka pleaded, with puppy dog eyes.

Jonouchi pouted – he never could resist his sister when she gave that look. "Meh... Alright. But if anyone laughs its coming off again." He snatched the outfit and marched towards the bathroom to change.

"Don't forget the beard..." Mokuba called after him.

With a scowl, Jonouchi returned and snatched the beard out of his hand.

As soon as he was kitted out in his Santa outfit, Jonouchi bounded into the sitting room with a loud, "Ho, ho, ho." Everyone laughed, including Jonouchi, who was secretly enjoying himself.

"You actually look pretty cool dude," Honda remarked.

"A little bit skinny for Father Christmas though," Ryou commented, with a smile.

"Now that you're ready Jonouchi, you can start handing out the presents. You can read, can't you?" Mokuba teased.

"Watch it kid. Or Santa will keep your present for himself." Jonouchi snickered and knelt down in front of the pile of neatly wrapped gifts. "Now, who shall... Ah! Ladies first. Shizuka." He picked up the gift he and Mai had bought for her and handed it out. Just as he did so, there was a loud rumble and the whole building shook.

"Damn, an earthquake!" Honda grumbled, and everyone looked at each other with concern.

Relief appeared on their faces when it stopped after a few seconds.

Mokuba kept quiet. He was not sure if that was really an earthquake.

A few seconds went by and then there was a second, more intense rumble. The lights on the Christmas tree flickered and went out as the power was cut. A few decorations also fell from the branches, along with some ornaments from the wall units.

"A second earthquake." Yugi nibbled his lip nervously and reached for Anzu's hand. He hoped that they were not precursors for an impending big one to strike.

"That's odd! The emergency back-up generator should have kicked in by now," said Mokuba.

"Maybe we should go and check," suggested Yugi's father. "Where's the circuit breaker and generator?" Being an electrical engineer, he figured he should be able to fix it.

"It's down in the basement," Mokuba explained. It then occurred to him that Seto was working down there.

Just as they all stood up to go and investigate, the ground beneath their feed shook violently and then there was a loud bang. A large crack appeared in the floor, wide enough to reveal the outer casing of the bunker underneath their feet.

Anzu's father peered down into the crevice. "What on earth is that?"

"There is a large underground basement complex," said Mokuba. His face reddened. "I think Seto might be down there working on something. You should all stay here while I go and check."

Yugi and Jonouchi both shook their heads. "I think we should come with you," said Yugi, firmly.

"Yeah," Jonouchi added, "If anything's happened to Dork Face, you might need us there."

Mokuba took a deep breath and sighed. "I shouldn't really. It's secret.. but... I guess, if something's happened then... Okay." He decided, quickly. If his brother was hurt, then he would need help. And Shizuka was training to be a nurse so she might be helpful in giving emergency first aid.

::::::::::::

Seto started running the program that would open a portal to the afterlife. If successful, it would lock onto the Pharaoh and pull him back through the wormhole. He just had to hope that he didn't catch the Pharaoh on the Royal toilet, with his underwear round his ankles, taking a dump, or something obscene like that. He frowned at himself for having such an obscure thought – did spirits in the afterlife even take dumps?

Nothing was happening yet.

He checked the parameters again and realised that he might have underestimated the amount of power he would need to open the portal. But drawing more power would mean re-routing some of the power needed for upstairs in the mansion. He just had to hope they didn't notice or that Mokuba did not suspect anything.

Oh well! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Gritting his teeth, he hesitated a moment before increasing the current.

Turning up the power was working but it was also overloading the system. The monitor was starting to overheat, but Seto was not ready to give up yet. "Come on... just a little more," he growled at the monitor. He glanced over at the wall where the beam was being focused. The portal really should be opening by now.

The room started to shake and he could only hope that the concrete and steel structure surrounding him would hold up to the forces; it was designed to withstand a powerful earthquake, so it should. However, the forces he was dealing with were far more powerful than any earthquake!

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and the computer monitor caught fire. Seto grabbed the fire extinguisher and put it out. Shit! Had he failed yet again? He had been so certain that his calculations were right this time.

Through the smoke and fumes, he checked and found that even though the computer monitor had fried and was no longer showing the lines of code that had been running, the replica cube was still glowing and emitting an electromagnetic beam.

Eyes wide, he turned to the wall to see that a portal was actually beginning to open. An unusual sensation of fear ran through him, making him shudder. His fear was then replaced with anticipation and excitement.

At last, something was happening.

::::::::::::

It had been yet another long but enjoyable day in the afterlife for Atem. He had risen at the first light of Ra, eaten a good breakfast with Queen Teana, before going chariot racing. Most of his friends in the living world had only really known him as a master of Duel Monsters, but little did they know he was also a talented athlete. He particularly loved horse racing and chariot racing, especially when he won.

Today had been his day. Today he had raced in the premier division of the afterlife league and he'd made it through to the final; against Tut, Ramesses II, Amenhotep II, his friend and cousin Set and Cleopatra's ill fated muse, Antony. They were tough opposition but he had triumphed. Admittedly, he'd had a bit of luck, and of course, an amazing steed. But a win was still a win. And while all the different eras and sections of the Egyptian afterlife got on well together and had a great relationship, there was still a friendly rivalry; they all wanted to be champion of the different games and sports on offer.

After his victory parade, and still covered in dust and a few minor grazes, he marched into his chambers and placed his trophy down on the table.

A bath had been prepared for him, with soothing oils for his tired, aching muscles and grazes.

Stripping off, he sunk into his relaxing bath to enjoy some moments of quiet reflection on a good day's work. He would make the most of this chance to rest, because a celebratory feast was being prepared in his honour and he would be expected to remain awake throughout.

Closing his eyes, he found himself thinking about Yugi and his friends. He was happy here but he still missed them. It had been a long time in living world years since he had seen them; not since Kaiba had upset the Plana.

Atem chuckled and sunk down into the warm water to wash the grime and sand from his hair.

Shaking his wet hair out, he then rubbed his skin with the oils. Sometimes, it was nice to not have servants hovering, waiting for his instruction for them to wash him.

All of a sudden, he was hit by something that knocked the air from his lungs. The water around him swirled like it was being sucked up by a mini tornado. He felt himself being twisted and spun with the water. He tried to shout for help but got a nose and mouthful of his dirty, soapy bathwater.

He and his bathwater were then dragged through a wormhole and then spat out the other end.

Atem felt himself crash against another person, before he landed uncomfortably on a cold, concrete floor.

::::::::::::

Seto staggered backwards as a rush of water came out of the portal at his end, soaking him. Less than a split second later, a naked body was spat out as well, hitting him in the chest and knocking him off his feet.

He quickly gathered himself and sat up. His mouth fell open when he saw a bedraggled, naked and completely confused Pharaoh, groaning and rolling around on the ground in front of him.

Trying to make some sense out of what had just happened to him, Atem spluttered and rolled onto his hands and knees. Gagging, he coughed up some bathwater.

Rubbing his hand over his forehead and pushing his messy, wet hair away from his eyes, he sat back on his haunches and glared around the room. His vision was all fuzzy and he was feeling so dizzy and disorientated that it caused him to throw up the remaining water, along with the contents of his last meal.

Seto continued to stare in disbelief. What was wrong with the Pharaoh? He had just puked on himself!

He hoped that he had not been damaged in transit, or something. "What is wrong with you, Pharaoh?!" were the only words that managed to escape from Seto's mouth.

That voice! Atem recognised it and his head snapped round to glare in the direction the voice had come from. His top lip twitched into a furious snarl, as he blinked and tried to focus his glare on Seto Kaiba. The blurry vision of the CEO was clear enough to tell him that the man was uncharacteristically horrified. "Kaiba! What have you done?" He snapped angrily.

::::::::::::

Pushing aside the panelling, to reveal the secret entrance, Mokuba looked into the retinal scanner and the door opened. He ran down the steps and was followed by Yugi, his father Jonouchi, Mai, Anzu and Honda. Since there was limited space, everyone else waited in the living room.

Mokuba halted at the door to the laboratory and hesitated a moment. The hazard warning lights were flashing which meant something disastrous might have happened. But the system had not gone into safety lock down so it couldn't be that bad, could it?

Deciding to risk a burst of radiation for the sake of saving his brother, he inserted the key card and the door buzzed, releasing the locking mechanism. He pressed the button and it slid open.

The room smelled of burnt electronics and fire extinguisher and there was a think veil of smoke.

"Seto?! What happened?" Stepping into the room, he gasped when he say his brother staring down at a nude person on the ground. He jumped when the man shouted at Seto. That voice?

Yugi was right behind Mokuba and was the first to instantly recognise the voice. "Atem!" Without any consideration for his safety, should there be any toxic radiation, he ran into the room and knelt at the Pharaohs' side. He placed a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. It was cold to the touch and shaking slightly, and he was not sure if it was rage or hypothermia. "Atem..." he said emotionally, "What happened? How are..." He trailed off and turned angrily to Seto. "What have you done Kaiba?" He sounded just like the Pharaoh.

Seto smirked. "I thought you would be happy to see him Yugi."

"Not like this!" Yugi responded. "Can someone at least get him some clothes?"

Mai and Anzu were both peering in at the naked Pharaoh with blushes. They both felt embarrassed and knew better than to ogle, but he was an attractive sight. It then occurred to Mai that she was getting on for thirty and the boy on the floor was probably no more than eighteen.

"Geez Kaiba, you ass hole." Jonouchi elbowed his way past the CEO and joined Yugi, kneeling down in front of a shivering Atem, he shrugged off his Father Christmas coat and wrapped it around the young man. They both helped Atem get his arms into the sleeves.

His modesty covered, Yugi asked him if he was okay to stand? He nodded feebly in response.

"Yes.. I think so. I'm a little disorientated."

"It's okay buddy. We gotcha." Jonouchi looped an arm underneath Atem's armpit and steadied him as he stood. It occurred to him just how much younger than them he now seemed. Even Yugi looked more mature than Atem.

"Bring him upstairs you two and we can get him warmed up. He looks frozen," said Mokuba.

As Yugi and Jonouchi helped Atem to walk, Anzu watched on. It made her heart hurt so badly to see Atem looking so vulnerable. She had once thought she was in love with him, and yet now... he looked so young. She rounded on Seto, furiously. "You selfish jerk Kaiba! Why can't you just let him rest in peace?"

Kaiba spun on her. "Shut your mouth. You have no idea what you're saying."

"Oh! Don't I?" Her hands were now on her hips as she faced him. "It's about time you grew up and moved on. You're never going to beat him, and you're never going to beat Yugi either, so just.. just.. Ughh... I give up. It's like talking to a brick wall."

"Have you done ranting?" Seto replied, coldly. He really didn't mean to be that nasty to her, but she had touched a raw nerve. He was also feeling a slight pang of regret for how pitiful the Pharaoh was looking.

"It's okay. Come on Hon." Mai put her arm around Anzu. She turned to Seto who was trying to look defiant, but in reality, looked extremely guilty. "You really have crossed the line this time Kaiba."

Seto could not be bothered to start arguing with her.

After they had gone, he turned to look at where the portal had been. It had gone but there was a nasty scorch mark on the wall – and something else!

He walked over to the wall cautiously. The wall seemed to be fazing in and out and behind it was a void. He reached out to touch it when the clawed hand of a Shadow Ghoul lashed out and tried to gore him.

He jumped back in alarm. What just happened? The clawed hand was now gone but there was now a jagged crack in the wall where it had been, and through the crack, a dark, greyish purple mist was seeping into the room. Crap! Seto quickly grabbed the important equipment he had used to open the portal and left the room.

Initiating the lock down sequence in the hope that it would contain whatever it was that had been released, he retreated to another room to observe using the hidden cameras, and investigate what might have gone wrong.


	3. Chaos For Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seto successfully closes the rift in the basement but is unaware that another is opening elsewhere.  
> Meanwhile, Atem is slowly recovering from being dragged into the living world and getting used to having his own body.  
> But rather than have a joyous reunion with Yugi and his friends, they find themselves dealing with duel monsters running amok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably warn that there is some mild cursing and also the suggestion of an unsubstantiated interest in teenage boys.  
> Please also excuse any poor editing as I have not had much time.

Yugi and Jonouchi guided a somewhat disorientated Atem into the sitting room and steered him towards the sofa. He looked around the room at the other guests. Some of them he'd never seen before, but their expressions were all the same. They were obviously confused and somewhat shaken by what they were seeing.

They wanted answers and he realised that he needed to get a grip on himself and work out what was going on so that he could set them all at ease.

But being forced here so abruptly had left him with this horrible dizzying feeling of vertigo and he just hoped he wasn't going to throw up again, in front of them.

To try and steady himself, he focused on the tree in the corner. The lights were off due to the power drain, but he remembered seeing something like it in Domino Town Square. "It is Christmas, am I right?" He fondly recalled the two Christmases he had spent with Yugi and their friends. They had told him it was in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but that even though Japan was not actually a Christian country, in the latter half of the twentieth century the idea of celebrating it had become popular. "This red coat is for..." He gave a little snort at the oversized red coat, trimmed with nylon fur, that dwarfed his lean frame. "I have forgotten his name."

"That's okay Pharaoh... I mean Atem!" Jonouchi gave his shoulder a squeeze. "It's Santa! We don't expect you to remember everything," This was not how Jonouchi remembered Atem and it was upsetting to see him looking so lost.

Atem chuckled lightly. "Ah, yes. I remember now." He went quiet as he tried to even out his breathing. By rights, he should not even have a physical body in the living world, but for some reason he did. What sort of magic had Kaiba used to get him here? He shivered. "I smell of vomit. I should wash."

Unable to bear seeing Atem looking so pale and unwell, Anzu hurried forward to try and help him. Feeling embarrassed about his condition, he gave her a weak smile. It did not escape him how she had matured into a beautiful woman. In fact, they had all matured, making him feel like a child.

Mokuba was sympathetic towards their unwitting guest. He had been a young teen last time he saw the Pharaoh, and Atem had been this wise and powerful being that sometimes took over Yugi's body. It was strange to think that he was now older than Atem. The bedraggled young Pharaoh looked such a pitiful sight. "Oh! Yeah, okay. I'll take you to a guest room. Yugi can come and look after you while I will find you some better clothes to wear." He could not think what else he could do for Atem. And where was Seto?

::::::::::

In the basement, Seto was busy trying to contain the small tear that had appeared in the fabric that was supposed to keep the dimensions apart.

Frantically typing some commands into the panel on the entrance door to the lab, he raised a containment field. The containment field was an advanced force field that worked on the same principles as the deprivation mask he had used on Diva, and he just hoped that it would be strong enough to prevent the rift from growing any bigger – at least until he worked out a way to mend the tear properly. The last thing he wanted was for it to grow big enough to allow any uninvited creatures to squeeze through.

::::::::::::::

As Yugi and Anzu tended to Atem, his very confused mother finally decided to challenge her son. "I think you owe us some sort of explanation Yugi. Who is this young man? And why does he look just like you?" Yugi looked at her and cringed. Once or twice in the past, she had caught him talking to himself and had questioned his strange behaviour. But he had always made a joke of it or come up with a reasonable explanation. He had never told her the truth about the Millennium Puzzle or the spirit within.

"Erm.. it's a long story Mum. Atem is a good friend from Egypt." He hated himself for telling fibs but he had lied to his mother so often that it had become far too easy. "I don't have time to explain it right now, because... because I really don't know how." She was looking at him impatiently and he could feel himself becoming irritated with her. "I'm sorry Mum! But you just have to accept it, okay?"

"No! It's not okay Yugi. I'm confused. Why did you call him Pharaoh?" His mother was looking between him and his friends with a challenging expression. She was certain they were all in on Yugi's secret.

Honda had joined his friends and was standing protectively by their side. "That's his nickname," he quickly answered.

"Yes!" Anzu agreed. "Because he's Egyptian."

Yugi's mother mumbled something to her husband and shook her head.

Taking his wife's cue, Yugi's father stepped into the debate. He had his own suspicions and concerns. "It doesn't explain why he looks like Yugi. He even has the Mutou hair." He glared at his own father. Sugoroku had spent many seasons working on digs in Egypt, and he could not help but be suspicious that maybe the old man had kept a secret family there.

But the thing concerning him most, was what he was doing in the basement of Kaiba's mansion. "What's going on Dad? Why would Seto Kaiba have a boy who looks like the product of your adventures in Egypt, naked in his basement?"

Sugoroku was furious with his son for suggesting he might have fathered a love child. "Now hold on a minute Sasaki. That was out of order and you know it!"

"Dad!" Yugi stepped towards his father. "Stop making assumptions about something you know nothing about. There are things going on here that are beyond your understanding."

"Then explain?" His father snapped. With that tone of voice, Yugi would have done as he was told when he was a child. But as a man, he stood his ground.

"I would explain, but we have more important things to deal with right now." Like making sure Atem is okay.

Yugi's father startled at his son's abruptness. But Sasaki Mutou was not buying it. "If you lot are trying to hide some secret for my dad, or protect Kaiba from.. I dunno.. having a thing for kids, then I suggest you all come clean, because I wont allow it to continue." If his suspicions were correct, then this young lad could be his half brother and Yugi's uncle.

Everyone cringed and squirmed at his implications, especially Mokuba. "How dare you! My brother's not into things like that! Seto transported him here for a duel!" He snapped angrily.

"I didn't say he was," Yugi's father shrugged. "I just think it odd that we found a teenage boy, who looks very much like he is a Mutou, naked in the basement of the wealthiest man in Japan."

Mokuba glared at Mister Mutou, "I don't know why he's naked." He looked at Atem in the hope that the Pharaoh would exonerate his elder brother.

Atem was very well aware of what Yugi's father was implying and was not amused. "How dare you suggest such a thing," he seethed, angrily. "If you were not Yugi's father I would have you executed for such slanderous remarks. If you must know; I was bathing after an excellent day of chariot racing when I was abruptly ripped from my chambers and brought to this realm by Kaiba."

Yugi's parents looked at one another in complete confusion. Everyone starting talking at the same time, jumping to conclusions as to what was really going on.

Hana Mutou looked around at the other confused faces. Two of whom, were Mokuba's girlfriend and her sister.

They were both looking to Mokuba for some clarity, but did not get any.

Despite his continuing nausea and also being the youngest person – by physical appearance – in the room, Atem still tried to maintain his air of authority. Using Yugi as a crutch, he stood up on wobbly legs.

"Quiet everyone!" He bellowed, and immediately they all went silent. The only problem was, they were now all looking at him as though he were about to explain everything – which he was not sure he could.

He cleared his throat. "Okay.. I know that the circumstances surrounding my arrival here may look strange. But I can assure you, that moments before you found me in the basement, I was actually in the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife." His statement was met with disbelieving gasps. "Yugi, myself and our friends, were brought together by the Millennium Puzzle. I do not expect you to understand how our souls are connected, but we share a bond that reaches beyond this world." He paused when Yugi's mother started muttering to his father that she knew something strange had happened to her son when he solved that wretched Millennium Puzzle.

"So Dad. He's not your son?" Sasaki Muto asked.

Sugoroku chuckled and shook his head. "No. He's not. But he did save my life that day in the tomb, when I was shot. To this day, I still don't know what exactly happened after I was shot. All I remember, is seeing a vision of this young man and then waking up in the Valley of The Kings, clutching the box containing the Puzzle."

"Y..you mean, he's a ghost?" Anzu's mother asked shakily.

Atem laughed. "Yes, you could say that. However, since I am corporeal, I cannot say for sure that I actually am one."

"This is way too weird." Kimiko mumbled, clutching her sister's hand.

"Then, if you've come from some other world," Anzu's father asked, with intrigue. "How did Kaiba manage to bring you here?"

"My brother's a genius," Mokuba proudly stated. "He has the ability to create technology that can reach beyond our world."

"But isn't that dangerous?" Anzu's father replied.

"Of course not! Seto knows what..." Mokuba started but Atem cut him off tersely.

"Yes! Very dangerous. Kaiba is abusing powers that are known only by the Gods. And even the Gods have learned not to abuse such power - they found that out the hard way, many millennia ago."

Everyone gulped and looked about the room nervously. Gods/1 ancient powers! It was all too much for some.

Mai was the first to ask a question. "So what are we gonna do now?"

Yugi looked at Atem hopefully. "Is there any chance you will be allowed to stay?"

Atem chewed on his bottom lip and looked at his former aibou. "Can you not feel it Yugi?" When Yugi shook his head and confirmed that he didn't feel anything, he continued. "I do not know what powerful sorcery Kaiba has used to bring me here, but whatever he has done has destabilised Maat."

"Does that mean we're gonna have to save the world again?" If so, Jonouchi was up for a good fight.

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Atem replied. "However, Kaiba is missing, and I think we should investigate." He caught a whiff of himself and grimaced. "But first I need to rid myself of vomit." He tried to walk and promptly collapsed when his legs gave out.

Yugi was right there and caught him before he hit the floor. "Let me help you – at least until you can walk properly." Atem shot him a 'do not treat me like a child glare' but Yugi was not intimidated and continued to support him as they followed Mokuba.

"I'm coming with ya!" Jonouchi stated. "I ain't lettin Atem outta my sight while he's like a newborn lamb."

Atem frowned at him and sighed despondently. "So that's what I have been reduced to; a new born lamb." Truth be told, he felt like one.

It was agreed that while Atem was getting washed and changed into some proper clothes, Honda, Anzu and Ryou would find out what Seto Kaiba was up to and then report back with their findings.

::::::::::::

Satisfied that he had managed to heal the rift, Seto heaved a sigh of relief. He had no idea why the rift had appeared after he shut down the cube, but at least he had averted a possible disaster. Now all he needed to do was see where Atem had scuttled off to and challenge him to a duel. He just hoped that the Pharaoh had recovered and was capable of dueling.

Gathering up the cube and his equipment, he turned to go back upstairs and face everyone. They were bound to give him an earful, but he was prepared for that bunch of cretins.

He reached the first step, when Honda appeared. "Oh great! A search party."

"What's going on Kaiba?" Asked Honda

Anzu peered around his shoulder. "What are you hiding down here?"

"I'm not hiding anything," he replied nonchalantly. "I was just salvaging my equipment. Some of it overheated when I brought the Pharaoh here." They were still looking at him with expressions that implied they did not believe him. "Don't worry. The Pharaoh will be able to return home when I decide to let him go." His equipment was pretty badly damaged and he hoped that he would be able to send him home.

Honda glared at him. "You'd better be telling the truth?"

Seto rolled his eyes. "Just go. You're blocking my way."

Ryou Bakura found his voice. "I'm afraid I don't believe you're telling us the truth Kaiba. The forces you have been using with are dangerous."

Seto hated being called a liar. "Oh! And, of course, you have knowledge of all that occult and demon rubbish, don't you. After all, you were host to a monster," Seto sneered, nastily.

His comment made Ryou flinch but the blonde stood his ground. "Yes, I was. But my experiences of the supernatural have left me with a sixth sense and I know when something is wrong. I can feel it."

"Yes, well you are wrong. I have fixed it." With that, he pushed past them and marched up the stairs, leaving the three friends all looking at one another in exasperation.

After a moment of hesitation, they followed him, leaving the darkened basement behind.

What none of them knew, was that although the rift in the basement had been closed, a new one was opening up elsewhere.

::::::::::::

Atem was not embarrassed about nudity. In Egypt, nudity was no big deal and he was quite used to having servants pampering him and helping him to dress. But having to be steadied as he climbed in and out of the bath was humiliating, and he found himself continually apologising for being so weak and helpless.

"I'm sure once you've adjusted to your new body you will be okay," Yugi reassured as he wrapped the towel around him, while Jonouchi held his arm to prevent him slipping over on the wet tiles as he got out.

Being stubborn, Atem insisted on drying himself and walking unaided back into the bedroom. He was starting to get used to his new body now and was becoming stronger and steadier.

However, still concerned he might fall, Yugi and Jonouchi stayed close.

Smirking triumphantly, he sat down on the bed with the towel still wrapped round his waist. "There, I did not need help."

Mokuba came running back in with a pile of clothing. "I grabbed these from the back of my wardrobe. They fitted me when I was about seventeen so hopefully there's something here that will fit you. "He dropped the bundle on the bed beside Atem. "It's a good job I never got round to getting rid of them." Truth was, his wardrobe was so big he didn't know half of what was in there.

There was no underwear so Atem chose a comfortable pair of black sweatpants, a white tee-shirt, a dark blue and red hooded top and some warm socks.

They were just about to go back downstairs when they heard a loud rumbling sound outside. The rumble was quickly followed by a roar and then a screech.

"What da hell is that?" Jonouchi ran over to the window and was just in time to see a Red Eyes Black Dragon go soaring into the dull, grey sky. His eyes went wide and he gasped in awe and excitement.

Atem joined him at the window, just in time to see a Beserk Gorilla smash through the shrubbery. It stood on two legs and pounded its chest before looking menacingly at the pergola. Its flame effect kicked in, setting the pergola alight.

Atem's eyes widened in concern. "I feared that something like this might happen."

"What is it?" Mokuba peered over his shoulder. "Shit! Seto's gonna be furious about the pergola."

"Never mind that," Atem snapped. "Thanks to Kaiba bringing me here, creatures are now crossing from their own dimensions into other worlds."

"Then we need to stop them before they cause too much damage," said Yugi, resolutely.

"And how do we do that?" Jonouchi frowned.

Knotting his eyebrows together in thought, Yugi quickly came up with an answer. "They're Duel Monster Spirits, so maybe we can control them using our minds or our cards," he suggested, hopefully.

"Theoretically," Atem nodded. "But unless you have a connection to that particular monster, then in reality it might be difficult."

"Nah... I got faith in my monsters," Jonouchi grinned. "I'm gonna go catch me a real Red Eyes."

Before they could stop him, he was leaning out of the window, whistling and calling out to the dragon circling in the sky.

The dragon spotted him and came swooping down. The powerful gust from its wings tore the window off its hinges. The dragon then tipped its head back and screeched, sending a ball of flame hurtling into the garage.

Mokuba stared in horror. "Seto's Lamborghini is in there!"

"No! Come back!" Jonouchi yelled, as the dragon flew upwards and then hurtled towards the city centre. Yugi grabbed him to stop him falling from the window and pulled him back inside.

"Jonnouchi! I think you should stop winding the dragon up like that," he scolded his friend.

"But didn't you see Yuge? He recognised me!"

Mokuba scowled at him "Yeah, then why did he incinerate the garage and fly away?"

"Coz he knows... Aw, never mind." Jonouchi suddenly realised that if he confessed to having imagined how funny it would have been if Beserk Gorilla had trashed Kaiba's stupid fancy cars instead of the pergola, he might be accused of inciting the Red Eyes Black Dragon to burn down the garage.

"We must find Seto," Mokuba shouted, turning and running back down the stairs.

When he got to the foot of the stairs, Seto was in the hallway, having just emerging from the basement looking relieved after successfully closing the rift. "Seto! All hell's breaking loose," he shouted desperately. "There's duel monsters running amok, They torched the pergola and garage."

Seto's eyes went wide with surprise. "They did what?! But I closed it before..."

Atem and Yugi appeared on the stairs and both Mokuba and Seto jumped when Atem shouted. "Kaiba! Thanks to your ridiculous obsession with me, you have put everyone in danger!"

Seto smirked and stood tall. "That would sound more authoritative if you were not wearing Mokuba's old cast-offs."

Atem looked down at himself and bristled. "This is not a time to make jokes Kaiba. When you brought me here, you caused the realities to collide and creatures are now escaping from their own worlds and are appearing in this one."

"Before you accuse me of anything, I should inform you that I closed the rift. Nothing got through."

"Yeah, well if ya that smart, why are there real monsters in your garden Kaiba?"

"What do you mean, Monsters?" He ran into the sitting room and stopped. His mouth gaped at the large crack in the floor, which ran across to the patio doors and had even caused one of the large, reinforced glass panels to crack.

He looked outside. Sure enough, there were monsters all over the garden. Most of them were either brainless ones or ones that were inquisitive and liked to cause trouble. "But I closed the rift! Where are they coming from?"

He ducked as an ornamental statue crashed into the patio door in front of him. Even though it was already cracked, the glass didn't break first time, but after another attempt, the heavy bust of an angel, holding an orb, crashed through and landed on the floor, narrowly missing them. The icy blast of cold air that accompanied it made them all shiver.

The grinning face of Feral Imp appeared, peering in at them through the gap left by the statue. He let out a devilish laugh when it spotted the horrified people looking at it.

Much to the imp's delight, Mokuba's girlfriend screamed hysterically at it, making it jump up and down with excitement. In one leap, it jumped through the opening, oblivious to the broken glass on the floor, intent on terrorising her further. It did not see Yugi or Atem, otherwise it might not have entered the room.

"Feral Imp! I command you to behave!" Atem bellowed at it. Immediately, it whimpered and crept towards him, like a dog cowering before its master. "Sit!" He said sternly, and the imp complied.

It looked expectantly between Yugi and Atem as it awaited its orders.

Yugi smiled and patted the imp on the head. "You must not frighten anyone, and you must not break any more objects or windows. Do you understand?" The imp looked up at him and nodded its head.

Yugi's mother put her hand to her mouth in shock and awe. "It.. it obeyed you! D.. do you know this creature Yugi?"

Yugi turned to her and smiled. "Yeah Mum, I do. He's in my deck." He turned to Atem. "At least we know we can control them. Now all we need to do is send them home and close the rift."

Atem nodded but he doubted it would be that easy. "I like your optimism Yugi, but..." He turned to the others. They all looked so determined and it filled him with resolve. "Okay! Those of you who are duelists. I want you to find any monsters you are familiar with and get them all to congregate in Kaiba's garden, while myself, Yugi and Kaiba find out where the rift is. Do not challenge any monsters you do not know, they might be dangerous."

"Perhaps we can get our own spirit monsters to sort out the ones that ain't behaving?" Jonouchi suggested.

"Good idea Jonouchi!" Yugi agreed. "You're in charge of that, okay?"

"Sure thing Yuge!" He beamed. "I'm already on it." With that, he went dashing outside and whistled for his Red Eyes Black Dragon.

Yugi's father stepped forward. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Yes there is Son," Sugoroku grinned. When his son gave him an incredulous look, he chuckled. "You have doubts? Then just watch and learn, because this old man has a few connections to Duel Monsters Spirits as well."

Hana Mutou rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised."

"I can help too," Ryuji Otogi added. "I just hope the monsters in my deck will obey me."

"And me!" Honda wasn't a good duelist, but he did have a deck.

Ryou shuddered. "I just hope HE doesn't show up."

Anzu gave him a reassuring hug. "We won't let him hurt you if he does."

He smiled. "Thank you. But if he does, please don't restrain me if I decide to beat him to a pulp."

Meanwhile, Mokuba's girlfriend and her sister, were checking their mobile phones for news.

"Oh my god! There's reports of weird creatures running all over the city!"

"Has anyone been hurt?" Mokuba asked, concerned.

"I don't think so! Oh no! The hospitals are inundated!"

"Then we have to put a stop to this. Is everyone ready?"

Anzu's mother laughed nervously. "Not really. But since you all seem to know what's going on, then I guess we will help in any way we can." She gave her daughter a searching look. How on earth did her daughter know about this stuff?!

Putting on their warm coats, they all ran outside without a clue about what they might find.

Once outside, they quickly discovered where the monsters were all coming from. A huge, dark, shimmering vortex, was swirling where the ornamental pond should have been. However, their access was blocked by several Skull Servants crawling around on the frosty lawn.

"Ugh! What are they?" Yugi's mother cried.

"It's okay Mum. Skull Servants are pretty creepy, but they're low level. Just kick them if they try to grab you. But if they get too close, One of my imps will deal with them, won't you?" He now had two Feral Imps and one Horned Imp in tow.

She glared at her son. "I will take your word for it." But she was not keen to find out.

Suddenly, Dark Magician Girl came flying out of the rift and made a beeline for them, zapping the Skull Servants with her sceptre as she flew, and sending them hurtling back through the rift.

She pulled up in front of Yugi and Atem. Her worried, stern look of concentration faded and she broke into a big smile. "Prince!" She squealed. "Thank Ra you are safe!" She had expected the worst, but to find him right away was fantastic.

"Magician Girl! What are you doing here?" Atem gasped.

Suddenly realising how cold it was, she shivered. "My master sent me to find you. Hold on a moment..." She did a twirl and stardust appeared around her. When she stopped spinning, she was wearing a flattering blue and pink coat, with fur cuffs and collar, pink and blue striped leggings and a pink hat with a big blue bobble. "That's better," she giggled. "Mahado was worried when you were reported missing from your chambers. He and Priest Set investigated and found the residue of powerful magic. They then discovered that the fabric dividing your world from the afterlife and the realm of Ka spirits had been breached. He has merged his soul with Dark Magician, but they can't repair the rift until all the creatures are recovered and you are safely returned to the palace."

Atem acknowledged her with a nod of the head. He turned to his friends. "Okay, then let's start rounding them up!"

"I have already applied a force field around the city to prevent them spreading further. Kisara is coordinating a sweep of the city and will round them up."

At the mention of Kisara, Seto's eyes lit up. "Did you say Kisara?"

Dark Magician Girl nodded and giggled. "She is in her dragon form and has Red Eyes and Gandora to assist her. They will obey her as she is a Goddess among duel spirits." At the thought of Blue Eyes White Dragon commanding their monsters, Yugi and Jonouchi looked at each other and frowned.

Seto shivered, bit his bottom lip and looked out into the dull, grey December sky. She was here... somewhere in the city.

Yugi spun around when he heard the familiar screech of his Gandora Dragon. The dragon was coming towards them, herding several mischievous relatives of Kuroboh. Yugi's own Kuriboh peeled off as Gandora forced his brothers and cousins back through the rift, and flew straight at Yugi and Atem with an excited Kureeee! Not knowing which of them to mob first, he flew around them until he was so dizzy, he crashed straight into Yugi's chest, almost knocking him to the ground.

Thinking her son was being attacked, Yugi's mother screamed and tried to swat Kuriboh away, but Yugi just laughed, clinging to the giddy fuzz-ball.

"Hey! Little buddy," he laughed, scratching Kuriboh's back. "You need to calm down before you hurt yourself." The excitable creature quivered and purred in his arms like a contented cat.

Atem laughed. "Someone's happy." He leaned in and scratched Kuriboh's head. The creature immediately jumped out of Yugi's arms and nuzzled Atem's neck. He put his arm around it. "It's good to see you old friend."

Yugi's mother started fussing and checking him over for injuries and was relieved he was unhurt. "What is that thing?"

"Mum!" Yugi whined. "It's not a thing. He's Kuriboh."

His mother shook her head in disbelief. All of this was way beyond her comprehension. She was going to have a serious talk with her son when this was all over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a safe and happy Christmas everyone.  
> Final chapter will be Boxing Day, or the day after - depends how busy I am. And don't forget to leave a review :-)


	4. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monsters are on the loose and our intrepid band of heroes must spend Christmas Day rounding them all up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave myself a schedule that was way too tough and I failed miserably to get this written on time because I have been so busy. But having worked on finishing this today (so forgive mistakes) I have not had time to work on getting the next chapter of Against The Odds. I will try to get it done over the weekend.

Dividing into small groups, they started rounding up the errant monsters. Meanwhile, Dark Magician Girl flew around giving the impression she was in charge.

Atem shouted his orders at her to ensure she did not make the already over excitable Beserk Gorilla any more dangerous than it already was. "Mana?! Place a spellbinding circle around him before he incinerates us all."

"Yes Prince!" She giggled, flying off and twirling her staff in front of the gorilla, causing it to rear up and beat its chest furiously. Atem slapped his forehead in exasperation. Luckily Mana twirled her staff just in time and the burst of flame that erupted from the creature, disappeared into a Magic Cylinder. Unfortunately, it shot back out and would have hit Seto Kaiba had his Blue Eyes White Dragon not intervened and dispersed the flames with one beat of her wings.

Seto turned angrily to Atem. "Will you keep your woman under control?"

Atem ignored him and shouted to Mana. "Well done Mana! Now get him into the rift before he breaks free." Using her magic, Dark Magician Girl pointed her staff and the Gorilla was trapped inside the Spellbinding Circle, lifted up and flung through the rift.

Hana Mutou dodged out of the way and clung to her her son for safety. "Atem seems to be very confident for someone so young. It's like he's wise beyond his years!"

Yugi looked down at his mother and smirked. "Yeah, that's probably about right. He's like seventeen going on three thousand," he chuckled when she shook her head and mumbled at him that none of this made any sense.

In the near distance, police sirens and alarms could be heard. There were even sounds of gunfire as people tried to protect themselves from the invading monsters.

Having found his Flame Swordsman, Jonouchi roped him in to help him round up some of the monsters that were in the street outside the grounds of the mansion. Running around to the front gates, he found that they had been ripped from their hinges. He spotted a small white van on the driveway. The driver looked to be in a panic.

Afraid that his job would be in jeopardy if he failed to deliver an order to either of the Kaiba brothers, the driver had somehow made it through the chaos with Mokuba's large order of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

But three greedy Ojamas had torn the back door off its hinges and were now gorging themselves on Kentucky Fried Chicken.

"Stop that! Give that back?" The driver was trying to salvage what he could but the Ojamas were having none of it.

"Hey!" Jonouchi yelled, waving his arms arms about and running at the three Ojama brothers. "Gimme back my Christmas dinner?" In response, the Ojama's chuckled and threw the half chewed bones at him, causing him to duck. His ever loyal warrior jumped in and parried the chicken bones away.

"What are those horrible creatures?" The driver yelled desperately. He looked pretty frightened and Jonouchi felt sorry for him.

"I have no idea what them ugly critters are." He presumed they were duel monsters but had no idea what sort of nutter would have those in their deck!

"There's creatures all over the city! What's happening?" The driver fretted.

"It's okay buddy. Me and my pals are dealing with it."

The driver did not look convinced and hung his head. "I'm sorry about your dinner. Please ask Mister Kaiba not to tell my employer I failed to deliver. I need this job to get me through university."

"Hey! It's okay buddy. You did ya best in a tough situation. And Mokuba ain't spiteful like his brother."

Looking slightly more reassured, the driver nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Jonouchi grinned. He needed every bit of help he could get.

::::::::::::

It took the best part of the day to round up and persuade all the remaining monsters to go back to their own dimensions. The sun was setting and the cold air was starting to seep into everyone's muscles.

Mai shivered. "Well, that was certainly an entertaining way to spend Christmas!"

Dark Magician Girl floated to Atem's side. "Prince. We need to return home so that I can close the rift."

Atem looked at her and frowned. "Do we have to return so soon? I.. Only, this time I would like to say goodbye to my friends properly." He had always felt guilty for turning his back on them and walking through those doors, but he had been afraid that if he had spent too long saying farewell, he might never have had the courage to leave.

Blue Eyes White Dragon let out a deep rumble, that sounded almost sad, and her image started to shimmer. Her wings retracted and in their place were pale, thin arms.

Both sets of parents, and Mokuba's girlfriend and her sister, all gasped in surprise as the dragon changed into a slender woman with beautiful, long blonde hair. Kisara's knees buckled as she came out of her self induced slumber and woke up. She was shivering violently in the cold and Seto quickly pulled off his thick, padded coat and wrapped it around her. He then helped her to stand.

She let out a yelp at the feel of icy cold concrete under her feet, so he lifted her into his arms.

"Can the rift be sealed temporarily?" Seto asked.

"I.. I don't know my lord," Dark Magician Girl replied. "But it may not be wise. If we stay here, the dimensions will remain unstable. My master will not be pleased..."

"Stop complaining. I opened the rift, it is up to me to close it," Seto stated assertively.

"But how will you do that?" Dark Magician Girl challenged.

Seto smirked and asked Kisara to dip her hand into the pocket of the coat. She did as she was asked and pulled out a small cube, slightly bigger than a Rubik's Cube. "What is this?" Kisara looked at him searchingly.

"This is the key to unlocking the impossible," he boasted. "The Plana are not the only ones with the ability to traverse dimensions. I also have the power to create such technology."

Atem rounded on him. "But at least they could control it! You have no clue what you're messing with Kaiba! Look at the damage you're done?"

"Were they in control?" Seto challenged. "They were a bunch of amateurs. They were unworthy of such power," he said smugly. "And I would advise you not to be so ungrateful Pharaoh. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been given the chance to see your friends again, would you?"

Atem growled under his breath. It was pointless arguing with Kaiba, but deep down, he too thought the Plana's philosophy was slightly flawed. He also had to admit that it was nice to see Yugi and his friends again, even if the circumstances were not exactly ideal. But when were they ever? "Are you sure you can send us home safely?"

Seto smirked. "Are you willing to take the risk?"

Yes. Atem was willing to take the risk providing the others were. He looked at Dark Magician Girl. "What do you think? Can we stay for a little while?"

Dark Magician Girl sagged. "Prince.." she whined. But he was the Pharaoh and he had the final word, "Okay... But when Mahado gets angry. You're to blame."

"Very well." Atem nodded. "Can you at least seal the rift to prevent any creatures coming back through?" Mana confirmed that she could probably place a spell that would hold for around an hour or so. After that, they would really have to leave.

"Cool!" Mokuba beamed. "Extra guests for dinner!"

After working so hard, everyone was hungry, but they had no idea their dinner had been pillaged.

"Erm... about dinner," Jonpouchi grimaced. "This brave dude here tried to deliver it, but a bunch of fat critters busted his van open and stole our food."

Everyone hung their heads and sighed in disappointment.

"What are we gonna eat now?" Honda groaned.

"Do you have a well stocked pantry?" Anzu's mother asked.

"Yeah.. But the chef has the day off," Mokuba replied. "That's why I ordered out."

"I'm a qualified chef," Mister Otogi senior stated. "Maybe I could cook us all a meal?" He had been useless in the battle and felt pleased to be able to do something useful.

"I can help with the cooking too," Yugi's mother offered. Anzu's mother nodded and also agreed to help.

"Then I suggest we get inside where it's warm," Seto stated. "Kisara is shivering."

"We still have presents to unwrap too!" Said Mokuba, his excitement for the day slowly returning.

However, once inside, it quickly became apparent that the sitting room was an uninhabitable mess.

The large crack in the floor was a potential hazard and there was a freezing draught coming in through the missing section of glass in the patio doors.

"No problem!" Dark Magician Girl giggled and raised her staff. The broken glass lifted off the floor and pieced itself back together inside the frame. When it had finished, it looked as though it had never been broken in the first place. Next, she closed the crack in the floor. "There! As good as new!"

"Can you fix up the garden too?" Mokuba asked hopefully. The repair bill would run into thousands and a bit of magic would be a huge help.

Dark Magician Girl shook her head. There was far too much damage for one magician to fix alone.

Since it would take a while for the room to warm back up, Mokuba offered everyone hot chocolate. They all piled into the kitchen to help and to warm themselves up.

Atem hung back with Yugi. "I'm sorry about my condition when I first arrived. I was... a little disorientated."

Yugi grinned and nudged him. "No problem. It's great to see you again though," his face tinged with pink.

"So," Atem's own blush mirrored Yugi's . "A lot seems to have changed. You've all changed. Are you and Anzu?" He raised an eyebrow.

Yugi grinned. "Yup! We got married nearly nearly sixteen months ago. Anzu has achieved her dream to dance professionally and I also made my game – it's really successful. I'm actually working with Kaiba, on the next game. I'm doing a good job of keeping our title, too."

Atem was not surprised that Yugi was still the King of Games, but raised both eyebrows at the news that Yugi was working with Kaiba. "I was right to leave.. I knew you would do better without me." There was a hint of sadness in his voice and Yugi put a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"You know, If you wanted to stay? We could always just send Kisara and Dark Magician Girl home, and then close the rift."

Atem sighed. "A nice idea, but I think we both know I don't belong here. This is your life and it is not my place to interfere."

"But we have separate bodies. You wouldn't be interfering. And I'm sure Kaiba can deal with the paperwork, if that's what's worrying you?"

"It's not that. My life was three thousand years ago. My people are long dead. I have friends and a wife in the afterlife whom I will miss. And you are my representation in this era Yugi. The Gods would not allow us to both exist here at the same time."

Yugi sighed and stepped back with resignation. "So that's it? We get to spend one more hour together and then you leave us again? I kind of understand but I don't agree with it. You gave up so much and you deserve to at least have a choice."

"Do not feel bad for me Yugi," said Atem, sternly. "I feel blessed among men. How many people from the long distant past get to experience life in the future? Or get to meet their future incarnation?"

Yugi smiled warmly at him. "Yeah, you're right," he nodded. "Let's not be morose. We should enjoy the next hour and have fun." He patted Atem's back and gestured for him to go into the kitchen first.

Their friends were waiting to greet them with large mugs of steaming hot chocolate and Christmas cheer.

Jonouchi threw an arm around Atem's neck and threatened to noogie him but Atem wriggled free.

"Leave him alone Jonouchi, " Anzo scolded in jest. "Come and have some hot chocolate Atem?" She laughed. "Mister Otogi makes fantastic hot choc!"

"Yes! Thank you Anzu." With a lovely warm smile, he stepped forward to accept the offered chocolate.

"To friends and family," he said, raising his mug. Everyone nodded and raised their own mugs.

Hana Muto may have had her reservations and concerns about Atem when he first showed up, but she could not help herself thinking of him as a second son – she had always wanted another child but it just had not happened.

There were still questions she needed answered, but they could wait for another day.

::::::::::::

Mister Otogi had plenty of help and soon cooked up a very large quantity of curry, which he served up with rice.

They all sat and chatted happily as they ate. So many things had happened since Atem was last here and he was desperate to know what everyone was up to now. But the hour went by far too quickly and it was soon time to leave.

Wearing their warm coats, everyone braved the cold and the dark to say goodbye.

Seto activated his cube, and with a little help from Dark Magician Girl, directed the beam into the rift to reopen the portal that would enable the trio to travel home safely. "I will go last as I have to separate myself from Mana so that she can go home and I can go back to the Realm of Ka Spirits."

Seto took Kisara to one side. "You know I don't want you to go," he whispered, to avoid the others all listening in to their conversation.

She reached up and touched his cheek. "But you know in your heart that I do not belong here." They both knew that she belonged with Priest Set.

"But I fear I will never meet anyone worthy of my love."

She smiled at his comment. "I am sure she is here somewhere. You just haven't found her yet." Maybe she should ask the Gods to manipulate things a little so that his true love crossed his path.

"I'm sure you're right," he huffed, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Goodbye Kisara."

With a tear in his eye, he watched her walk towards the portal.

"Well..!" Atem clasped his hands together. "I guess I should be going too."

"Not without a hug you're not!" Honda grinned, stepping forward and giving him a bear hug. "I always regretted not giving you a hug the last time."

Atem laughed. "Thank you Honda." Moments later, he was bundled into another bear hug, this time by Jonouchi.

Yugi and Anzu were last to say goodbye.

"Well, I guess this is it." Yugi was determined not to cry but Atem's eyes looked watery and it was difficult not to let his emotions spill over.

Anzu had no reservations about letting her tears flow. "Will we see you again Atem?" She sniffed.

Atem really did not know the answer to that. "I will always be thinking of you. So who knows what our next adventure may be?" He gestured, humorously.

She threw her arms around him. As a teenager, she had always wanted to be held in his arms intimately but had been too bashful. As a grown woman, those feelings had changed and she now felt a sort of motherly desire to look after him – maybe it was because he looked so young to her now!

He squeezed her tightly in a warm embrace. In another place, another time, he would have taken her as his lover. But she was not his to take. "Farewell Anzu."

"You take care Atem," she replied. "And say hi to all your friends in the afterlife for me?"

"I will." He released her and stepped in front of Yugi. "Until we meet again, Aibou."

Yugi laughed. So they were back to using their nicknames for one another, were they? "Sure thing Other Me. But let's hope it's not another 'the world might end' catastrophe."

"I hope not." Atem looked towards the portal. "I guess I should go. Kisara and Mana are waiting."

"Yeah... I'm not saying goodbye though because that sounds so final, and I feel sure we will see each other again." He stepped forward and hugged the boy who had once shared his soul. It felt so strange to think of him as his alter ego now! How different they all were back then. But they had all grown and changed but Atem had not changed at all. He actually felt small in Yugi's arms.

Atem grinned into Yugi's shoulder. "See you again sometime, Aibou." He could still remember a time when he was part of Yugi and needed Yugi's body to exist in this world. He felt mean for thinking it; but remembered how weedy Yugi had been back then. But the man now giving him a bone crushing hug was anything but small and weedy, and Atem felt nothing but pride and happiness for how his aibou had turned out.

They pulled apart and Atem walked over to where to join the two girls.

"Until next time!" Dark Magician Girl joked.

Seto ran his fingers over the cube to activate its transporter and Dark Magician Girl amplified its beam into the portal. The trio stepped inside, and just like that, they were gone. All that was left behind was the sheer and utter devastation of what had been the beautifully sculpted gardens surrounding the mansion.

Seto stood and looked at the cube in his hand. It was still glowing.

"Is it meant to do that?" Shizuka wondered.

Seto held it out at arms length. "I'm not sure. It should have switched off when I touched here." He tapped a tiny button on the corner. "But it's not responding."

Jonouch let out a shriek. "Arghhh! Shit! It's gonna explode! Everyone run for cover!" He grabbed Honda and hid behind him. His panic made the others start to back away.

The cube suddenly became very hot in Seto's hand and he yelped, instinctively throwing it into the pond. "Everyone, get back!" He shouted, as a fountain of water shot skyward. The cube then catapulted high into the sky and exploded into a colourful display of gold and silver stars.

Everyone gasped in awe as the stars rearranged themselves into one big star before slowly fading into nothingness.

"I think that was Dark Magician Girl's way of saying Merry Christmas," Yugi laughed.

Seto scowled. Those three from the afterlife must have planned this between them. If they thought that would stop him from reaching into other worlds, then they had better think again, because he had already thought of several ways in which to improve on the design. "Why are we all still standing outside in the cold?" He huffed. "Christmas isn't over yet. Let's forget about this mess and go inside to continue our celebrations. We still have gifts to unwrap, don't we?"

Hearing his brother suggest that they should be celebrating Christmas, was the best Christmas present Mokuba could ever have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, but whatever your faith, I hope you all had a peaceful and happy holiday.

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter two should be up tomorrow.


End file.
